Dolores' Marzipan cakes

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MARZIPAN

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to try this delicious candy! Its like playing with play dough. I don't try to do real detailed projects. But tiny items shaped like fruit is a great idea.  It is best used for making 'fruits' or tiny animals that don't require thinness or detail. Besides being a perfect GROOM'S cake ---This marzipan fruit cake would make a perfect ending to your Thanksgiving dinner. Marzipan candies (made of ground almonds) are sold in stores and are very expensive...so easy to make! Keep candies covered, though not tightly.

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COLOR-FLO "LITTLE INDIANS": Make ahead & dry 3-4 days, or make directly on cake. MAKING MARZIPAN FRUITS BY HAND OR IN MOLDS: Divide dough and color as desired for fruits or veggies. Roll a piece into a ball using the palms of your hands. See right: Press into a mold; unmold. Add a stem and "blush" (on apples, peaches, bananas, etc.). TIPS: Add a clove as a stem for peaches, oranges, etc. Add our strawberry stems in strawberries. Mix powdered coloring with white petal dust to fade the color more pale and realistic. TO DECORATE CAKE: Ice cake: I use butter icing (made w/Butter Flavored Crisco), Spread on a big yellow "moon." Pipe a tip 2 brown "teepee." Add the "Little Indians," marzipan fruits, vegees and color-flo picture on cake. TIP: I would place it on sugar-cube blocks, glued on with icing (If made ahead), for easy removal. Add a message. "Happiness is a wonderful Thanksgiving." OR "Happiness is ... my marriage" The "little Indians" pattern is also great for a new home cake theme..."Happiness is a new teepee"

MARZIPAN FRUIT
8 oz Almond paste
2 1/4 cup Confectioner's sugar
1 Egg white; beaten lightly

Blend the almond paste and sugar together. Add enough egg white to create the consistency of modeling clay.
Roll or pack candy with your hands and press into mold.
When you clamp the mold tightly shut, excess candy will fall away at sides.
And open and tap. Your candy will fall out.

BANANA: Color the marzipan light yellow and roll it into the banana shape. Dissolve cocoa in a little water and, with a small paint brush, streak the fruit with brown lines.
APPLE: Color the marzipan light green or green yellow. Shape into apple shape and make an impression on top with a chopstick. Finish the apple with a brown stem and a green leaf (made of marzipan)
STRAWBERRY: Color the marzipan red and shape it into a strawberry. Roll the berry in granulated sugar. Make the hull with green marzipan.
ORANGE: Make a smooth ball of orange-colored marzipan; then press a piece of paper towel against the sides to create the texture of orange skin. Push a whole clove into the stem end of the orange.

This recipe makes one full-sized fruit or eight miniatures. Using chopsticks or toothpicks help the modeling process. Paste food coloring is the best, though liquid works okay.

TRUE MARZIPAN
4 cup Blanched almonds ground very fine
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
Boil to softball stage; add:
1/4 cup Orange juice
1 tb Rose water *
1/2 oz Pure almond extract

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Turn out on a board dusted with powdered sugar. Knead lightly, store well covered in refrigerator for about a week. Roll small balls to be dipped in chocolate or use any way desired.
My mother-in-law is German, & this is her recipe: Her tips include not using electric grinder--nuts become too greasy. The only marzipan. I knew before I knew this lady were the little pieces shaped like fruit & painted with food coloring. This is not the same at all.

A Christmas tradition is marzipan balls-centers are the above with chocolate coating. Excellent, elegant & to die for. In compote bowls lined with doilies I've really impressed the best with homemade candy they've never had elsewhere.
*Rose water is available at your pharmacy.

FREEZING
Q. Does freezing change the texture or taste?
A. Freezing is not necessarily a must - we only freeze when a time factor is difficult. Freezing takes too much time....ice and go for me! Freezing doesn't change the taste. But the thawing method can. Leave it wrapped until cake returns to room temperature so that it won't sweat and thus, dry out. Frozen too long and the icing may be unusable because it is dried out and falling off. You can freeze even though you have royal icing (or buttercream) flowers on it.
Q. Can you freeze royal flowers after you have decorated the cake and want to freeze the whole thing.?
A. Yes, I've frozen cakes many times with royal icing flowers on them. They WILL become soft, but I don't have much Breakage. I dry royal flowers in warm oven to speed dry them. Yes, they will dry real fast if you put them in front of a fan. Another thing I've done is dry them in front of a room air conditioner at my shop once. I used lattice hearts in 2 1/2 hrs that stood out from the side of a wedding cake.
MARZIPAN MOLDS

Roll or pack candy with your hands and press into mold

When you clamp the mold tightly shut, excess candy will fall away at sides

Open and tap. Your candy will fall out